The present invention relates to occupant detection. In particular, an occupant sensor and associated methods for detecting an occupant and using the detection are provided.
Occupant detection in conjunction with sensing a crash determines whether to activate an airbag. Various occupant detection systems have been proposed, including detection based on ultrasound, infrared, radar, electric field, capacitance, weight or combinations thereof. The occupant detection systems use antennas positioned in various locations within a vehicle, such as within a windshield, within a roof liner, in floor mats, or within a seat. The antennas are piezoelectric material, conductive materials, or other structures. For example, a conductive textile or flexible metallic electrode within a seat allows capacitive or electric field-based detection of an occupant. As another example, strain gauges or other associated pressure sensing sensors on flexible circuit material within a base portion of the seat detect an occupant.
To distinguish between different types of materials, such as an occupant and a bag of groceries, various sensing techniques have been developed. The change in frequency due to a different capacitance from multiple different antennas is one technique. Another technique is complex image processing. Classification from different types of data based on experimentation or neural network processes is another technique. Other techniques include determining electric field strength from different electrodes at different distances away from a seating area. However, these systems may be complex for distinguishing between multiple categories of occupant with reliable use with air bag systems.